Welcome to Persimmon Forge Ironwork Studio in Emporia, Kansas, dedicated to producing fine
hand-forged ironwork. We individually
hand craft functional and ornamental
ironwork using the centuries-old
techniques of hammering hot iron on
the anvil. We also utilize modern
equipment when it serves to reduce
cost but consciously attempt to prevent
this use from showing in finished pieces.
Alex Bealer wrote this of blacksmiths
in his 1976 book, The Art of Blacksmithing,“...they were a solid link
with the past, a constant reminder
of man’s slow struggle upward from
animal oblivion by his own ingenuity... without them civilization would have vanished in a few short years.”

The first working of iron predates written history but comes long after mans artistic skills
were well developed. The mastery of iron, the stubborn metal, in the forge fire brought a
new sophistication to technology. The blacksmith shop remained an essential element of
progressive communities until circumstances in the mid-20th century nearly extinguished
the forge fires permanently. There is at least one generation of Americans who grew up
not likely seeing a blacksmith working at a commercial forge. The publication of Alex
Bealer’s book roughly coincides with a revival of interest in blacksmithing in America and
the reevaluation of the importance of hand craftsmanship. While blacksmiths do make
practical things, the resurgence of work largely is focused on the artistic element.